125th Anniversary plans taking shape

Tuesday, December 14th, 2004 10:00 PM

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By BILL DWYER

River Forest's ad hoc 125th Anniversary Committee met for the fourth time Monday night. Chairperson Laurel McMahon expressed satisfaction that 15 people found time to attend the 3-hour-plus meeting at village hall, despite the demands of the season.

Foremost on the committee's agenda, McMahon said, was formalizing a calendar of events by the new year. Saying the committee needed to "start plugging in dates," McMahon said a firm calendar was essential as the committee begins to publicize scheduled events in the media and throughout the village.

Other immediate tasks for the committee were forming various subcommittees to handle specific planning tasks, and beginning the process of determining exactly which of the many ideas the group has developed will be used, and dropped.

"We've had some really creative thinking and brainstorming over the past two months," said McMahon.

McMahon also said that coordinated press coverage should begin in January.

"We really want people to anticipate the kickoff of this celebration in April," she told fellow committee members.

Among the plans for 2005 is a fundraiser sometime in June in the River Forest Town Center. McMahon said that she has already spoken with representatives of the Taxman Corporation, landlords of the Town Center. Additionally, retailers in the shopping center will be contacted about sponsorship.

"I'm very excited about some of the possibilities," said McMahon of the event.

The committee is also looking into acquiring the services of an intern from Dominican University to help with the planning. McMahon said that the Historical Society of Oak Park and River Forest is proceeding with an application to Dominican, and will assume the $1 per hour, or 1/10th, of the interns salary.

McMahon said that she intends to go before the River Forest village board with a request for financial support sometime in January, but wanted to have a clearer picture of finances before approaching them.